Senior Program Officer (BASCT)

Posted on February 03, 2019

About The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust

The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust (the “Trust”), a family foundation, supports advocacy for social change that promotes human dignity and contributes to a more just, democratic and environmentally sustainable world. A year ago, the Trust hired its first Chief Executive Officer. It now is in the process of expanding its staff, building out its organizational infrastructure and developing and refining its philanthropic strategies.

The Trust is seeking a skilled and experienced grant maker to serve as its Senior Program Officer, overseeing, shaping and building a $12M policy and advocacy portfolio that is focused on immigration, the social safety net, health care and reproductive rights. Reporting to the CEO, the Senior Program Officer will be a member of the Trust’s management team and will serve as an ongoing thought partner to the CEO, bringing best practices and experience from previous foundation roles.

This is a full-time position located in the Trust’s offices in mid-town Manhattan.

Candidate Profile

Strong candidates will have meaningful experience and an existing network in grant making as well as a desire to work in an entrepreneurial setting and contribute to the Trust’s overall development and organizational growth. Effective partnership and collaboration with Trust staff and Trustees will be pivotal; the Senior Program Officer will be expected to demonstrate a high level of integrity and excellent professional judgment.

Successful candidates will have previously served in a foundation program role and will be enthusiastic about developing and executing forward-looking strategies for the portfolio that reflect priorities identified by the Board. The selected candidate will bring a deep sense of the needs of the field and the dynamic environment for the work, as well as strategic knowledge of high-impact funding opportunities.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

Grantmaking:

Develop and execute well-researched strategies for the program that are aligned with organizational mission, vision and approach

Oversee all aspects of the grant making process in the program described above, including identifying and screening prospective grantees, developing and presenting grant recommendations and ongoing grantee relationship management

Stay abreast of developments in the field to identify emerging needs, gaps and opportunities and identify implications for the program and the Trust

Write strategy and background papers to present strategies and proposed grantees to CEO and the Trustees

Analyze program performance and communicate progress regularly to the CEO and Trustees

Engage with peer funders and professional associations and other partners in relevant fields

Develop and host convenings and other events in support of program goals and identify learning opportunities for board and staff

Leadership:

Serve as an effective and collaborative member of the Trust’s senior leadership team, helping to conceptualize and execute organization-wide initiatives and systems and staff development and training

Support the CEO in overseeing grant making operations, providing insight and drawing from previous experience to develop and implement strategic solutions that advance the organization as a whole

Participate in the development, implementation, and refinement of the Trust’s grants management, evaluation and other internal processes and systems

Contribute to the development of external publications, blogs and social media to amplify the visibility of the Trust and/or its grantees

Qualifications

Competitive candidates will demonstrate the following professional and personal qualifications:

Experience in philanthropy, particularly with policy and advocacy grant making

Demonstrated track record of strategic leadership and framing of a grant making portfolio

Desire to be part of the senior leadership team at a growing organization and a commitment to working collaboratively to create systems and determine solutions to problems

Ability to maintain tact, discretion and confidentiality as needed for a family foundation

Exceptional oral and written communication skills; able to quickly gather, synthesize and summarize information in a clear manner with a variety of audiences from grantees to Trustees to staff

An interest in mentoring and supporting professional development of other staff, as needed

Proactive approach with demonstrated ability to exercise initiative

Goodwill, a sense of humor and a commitment to collegiality in a small team

Bachelor’s degree; 5 years of foundation experience and 10-15 years of relevant professional experience required; Master’s Degree in a related field (e.g., Law, Public Policy, Journalism) is preferred

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

To Apply

The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust has engaged Koya Leadership Partners to help in this hire. Please submit a compelling cover letter and resume to Molly Brennan and Shavon Bellhere.

The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust deeply values equity and inclusion and is committed to the recruitment and retention of individuals of underrepresented backgrounds, including (but not limited to) gender identity and expression, race, religion and sexual orientation.

About Koya Leadership Partners:

Koya Leadership Partners is a national retained executive search and human capital consulting firm that works exclusively with mission-driven organizations, institutions of higher education and social enterprises. We deliver measurable results, finding exceptionally talented people who truly fit the unique culture of our client organizations and ensuring that organizations have the resources and strategies to support them. For more information, visitwww.koyapartners.com